Telephony services that are available today stem from the existing wireline intelligent network. The primary elements of the intelligent network are a switching system, a signaling network, a centralized database, and an operations support system which supports the database. In general, the switching system intercepts a call from a call source, and suspends call processing while launching a query through the signaling network to the centralized database. The database, in turn, retrieves the necessary information to handle the call, and returns that information through the signaling network to the network switch, which may be a local digital switch, so that the call can be completed. The operations support system administers the appropriate network and customer information.
The intelligence of the intelligent network is found at the service control points. A service control point is a transaction-processing database which provides call-handling information in response to network queries. The signaling network is made up of signal transfer points. A signal transfer point is a packet switch found in the common-channel signaling network. The signal transfer point is used to route signaling messages between network access nodes, such as switches and service control points. Signaling system 7 is a common communications protocol used in common-channel signaling networks.
An end user gains access to the wireline network via a twisted pair that generally runs from the local switch to the end user residence. Typically, the intelligent network is accessible by the end user as part of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The twisted pair running from the central office to the residence is a standard telephone line, and communicates over the low frequency band associated with normal, plain old telephone systems (POTS). Also, existing telephony equipment for use at the end user residence is typically low power, and can be powered by the twisted pair. That is, in the event of a local power outage, an end user does not lose telephony services because the telephony device draws power from the telephone network. In addition to voice calls, existing telephone networks may also be used for modem applications to provide data services in the traditional plain old telephone system (POTS) bandwidth.
Recently, it has become desirable for many end users including home users, and office users, to obtain higher bandwidth data connections for access to data networks such as the Internet. These high speed network connections generally provide a much higher data bit rate than does the traditional arrangement with a modem connected to the plain old telephone system (POTS) physical drop.
The number of available voice and data services over different types of networks is now rapidly increasing. Unfortunately, rapid changes in technology sometimes limit the availability to the end user of the opportunity to expand services in a cost effective manner. That is, added services often require new hardware and sometimes even a new physical drop to be run to the residence.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need to expand telephony services in a cost effective manner while utilizing the rapidly advancing technologies in networking.